Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Awakened Investor with Black Hair 028
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While Awakening my brain.
Besides memory and calculation, a sharpened sense of observation took root within me.
The moment I faced the team from Germany.
I quickly grasped the relationship between the two.
Conrad von Walther. And the boy accompanying him initially seemed to be Conrad's son.
But in reality, he seemed to be his younger brother.
However, there was something else to note.
Officially, they were introduced as representatives of the Walther Family Office.
But the reality was that the Walther family itself was moving directly.
This meant more than just a simple investment.
They weren't just putting forward managers to handle the money, but the core of the family was directly involved.
But the reason why I chose the Walther family as the first meeting, ahead of the Bush family and other prominent Family Offices, wasn't just that.
With this, the Walther family became the standard.
Only teams with the same scale as them, and with the core of the family directly involved, would be qualified to be invited to the private meetings that would follow today.
Time was limited, and it was virtually impossible to meet with all 200 teams.
So, a criterion for selection was needed.
And above all.
Throughout the briefing, I could feel from the way Conrad von Walther looked at me how seriously he was evaluating me.
This man wouldn't be looking at me simply as money either.
"Herr von Walther, es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen (Mr. von Walther, it's a pleasure to meet you.)"
I greeted him in German and started the conversation.
Conrad's eyebrows rose slightly.
He was momentarily surprised by the unexpected German greeting, but soon composed himself and stared at me.
He paused for a moment, met my gaze, and replied briefly and concisely.
"Thank you."
Then, he pointed to the boy standing next to him and added in a calm voice.
"This is my younger brother. Emil von Walther."
The boy looked a little awkward.
He glanced at his older brother and then nodded lightly at me.
"Hello."
It was a greeting delivered in a low voice.
His eyes were clear for someone who looked so young. His face was neat and very handsome, as if he resembled his older brother.
"He will be quiet by my side. I couldn't leave him alone outside."
Conrad gestured to his younger brother.
He seemed to want to get to know me better, so he spoke in German instead of English.
In any case, it seemed that he, being unable to have children, was already educating his younger brother to be his successor.
"It's alright."
I replied in German again this time.
Conrad paused at the fact that my German skills were not just at the level of greetings but that I was capable of conversation.
His eyes softened slightly.
Nevertheless, his cold expression was still maintained.
However, seeing that he changed to a gentle expression only towards his younger brother.
This was not simply a matter of innate personality, but rather the appearance of someone who had been thoroughly trained to hide their emotions.
Indeed.
The Walther family had been under suspicion and vigilance for a long time due to their past cooperation with the Nazis.
As a result, they must have always been conscious of the eyes of the outside world.
Even so, their known financial assets alone amounted to 100 billion dollars.
How much more hidden wealth would there be?
That vast wealth and influence was only part of the empire the family had built.
They were still playing key roles in major locations in Europe and around the world.
Considering this background, it was an inevitable choice for the people of the Walther family to hide their emotions and restrain their expressions in order to protect the family.
The reality of having an interview with the successor of that Walther family was surprisingly amazing.
Until a few months ago, I couldn't even imagine that I would be facing one of the most powerful families in Europe.
So, if he was compared to a crown prince of some empire.
I am closer to a rising martial artist who has just revealed his skills from across the ocean.
However, my martial prowess is so dazzling that rulers of all kinds of empires, kingdoms, and city-states are sending me love calls.
Asking me to become their sword.
And promising to give me wealth and glory if I do so.
However, this is not a place where I am being chosen.
I was the one who decided whether or not to take up the sword.
They are just offering me the sword.
Conrad knew that too, so when I handed him the contract, his hand paused for a moment.
"With today's contract, I would like to develop a deep partnership with the Walther family."
As if he had been waiting, he picked up the pen without a word.
If this were the Middle Ages, he would have instead drawn his sword, placed it on my shoulder, and made a solemn declaration.
"From now on, you will be the sword and shield of the Walther family, and you will fight for our glory and profit.
Everything you share with us becomes one with the Walther family. From this moment on, we share a single destiny."
'Like that.'
However, what is so different from the Middle Ages is that both he and I will repeat this ritual countless times with others.
Now, sacred rituals no longer exist.
Instead, it was an era where everything was finalized with documents and signatures, as a thoroughly calculated relationship.
History has changed that way.
Now.
This moment was just a moment to decide fate with a pen instead of a sword.
* * *
The clock pointed to 11 o'clock.
The monitor showing the wedding hall had already turned dark.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
I felt like my whole body was sinking heavily.
Even though I was in a position to choose, each and every investor was someone who deserved the best treatment.
I had to be on edge every moment.
'Because I couldn't miss a single one of their glances or words.'
"You've worked hard."
Chloe, who had finished cleaning up and returned, tried to put bright energy into her voice.
I gestured to the side as if to say I was okay.
Only then did Chloe sigh and sit down on the chair next to her. She took off her heels and placed them at her feet, and unbuttoned one of the buttons on her blouse.
It was only once today, but the battle we fought together today was that fierce.
The roles we played in the continuous tension and the signals we exchanged silently connected us.
'A sense of camaraderie that only those who have fought together can feel?'
She smiled first when our eyes met, and I smiled along with her.
"Were there any dissatisfied guests?"
I asked a little lightly. It was still a concern.
Out of more than two hundred teams of investors, only a few teams had a meeting with me, and most of them proceeded to sign a contract on the spot.
Almost all of the remaining teams had no choice but to wait and leave.
Fortunately, Chloe's expression was bright.
"Everyone was satisfied without any particular complaints. Rather, everyone enjoyed and was satisfied. You don't have to worry at all."
Chloe said.
"Still, considering the status of those who attended, I think it would be better for you to send a short message of greeting to them directly. It was that amazing of an event."
Her face had a dazed expression, as if she was looking back on the day.
"I can say that it was the best event in my career, CEO."
Today's event was not just the launch of a new hedge fund.
Like a meeting of secret networks.
Today, this place was also a venue where figures who influenced the world economy gathered to have a fierce discussion about the COVID-19 situation.
The real powers who quietly move the flow of the world economy and the market behind the scenes.
They gathered to seek a new order in the post-COVID era, and one decision made at this meeting could change the direction of the global economy.
For example, the policy of prioritizing vaccines over treatments in response to COVID was virtually decided at today's event.
And this policy will gradually be connected to the White House through the Wall Street network.
From the White House back to the World Health Organization and the United Nations―
Because Wall Street had this kind of power, it was perhaps natural that they were just smiling even on the day the world economy collapsed in 2008.
The smile at that time was cruel, and the true power hidden behind it was reunited today.
Today was such an event.
Chloe drew my attention with a small cough.
"But CEO. I'm sorry to say this, but shouldn't you be leaving soon?"
I didn't immediately understand the meaning of those words.
Ah!
Was it because I had relaxed for a moment?
I was forgetting something I shouldn't forget.
Chloe's voice collided with my back as I hurriedly put on my coat and left.
"I sincerely congratulate you on the success of AlphaMind, CEO. I hope God's blessings will be with you in the future."
* * *
I went out to the hotel lobby.
Mom was there.
Mom was wearing the most luxurious clothes she could wear.
But if you look closely at the hem of her clothes, you can see the traces of time, like the bricks of the Brooklyn apartment that is now our old home.
The dress was neat and clean, but it was a dress that had been with her for a long time.
The dress she wore to the Princeton graduation ceremony.
And the leather clutch bag setting that she only took out on such special days was the same as back then.
Mom's profile as she looked at the backs of the guests leaving the hotel.
The small smile on her face was exactly the same as that day.
Not because of the power of my awakened brain, but Mom's current appearance itself was sending me back to that day of my college graduation.
Mom was just waiting for me, with a quiet smile like she did back then.
I pursed my lips tightly.
I took a breath and approached Mom.
"How long have you been waiting? You should have gone home when it was over, why are you tiring yourself out?"
I spoke in as calm a voice as possible.
Mom slowly turned her head and smiled brightly at me.
"It's okay. My son was really cool today. I didn't even recognize him."
All the fatigue seemed to melt away with those words.
"Thank you for coming."
"Why are you saying such unnecessary things again? I had to come. Of course, I had to come."
Mom smiled as if scolding me, then made a worried expression.
"More than that... I was so nervous the whole time, wondering if anyone would say something like, 'Why is there some low-class Asian woman sitting there?'"
At those words, I looked at Mom without saying anything.
Mom seemed genuinely worried about that. Her wrinkled forehead was slightly furrowed.
But those words sounded funny to me.
"You saw it today. I killed them all. No. I should just make a name tag for our Mom next time. Hyun-woo's Mom."
"Please do that."
A relieved smile finally crossed Mom's face.
It was after that.
I went to the reception to request a taxi and came back, and in that short time, Mom's eyes were red.
Before I became like that too, I quickly put my arm around Mom's shoulder and hurried our pace.
And I said.
"Let's not cry anymore."
That was true.
'Let's just laugh, Mom.'
If we cry every good day...
I don't know how much more we'll have to cry in the future.